A SERIAL sex offender from Chard has lost a three-year legal battle to overturn his conviction for abusing two children.

William Palmer is serving a seven-year sentence which was passed at Taunton Crown Court in 2018, where he was branded a predatory paedophile.

He has been protesting his innocence ever since despite having pleaded guilty to the offences and sent the Judge a letter in which he said he was sorry of having created two more victims.

Palmer final attempt to change his plea and have his conviction overturned was thrown out by the Appeal Court sitting at Exeter and with Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett of Maldon presiding.

The judges ruled that there was no merit in Palmer’s case and that he should lose 28 days remission for pursuing it to appeal.

They noted that Palmer has convictions dating back to 1980 that include underage sex, possession of child abuse images, and breaches of Sexual Offences Prevention Orders.

They said Palmer had not been pressurised into pleading guilty before he was jailed for seven years in April 2018 but had done so freely when he realised his convictions would be revealed to a jury if he pleaded not guilty.

Palmer, aged 58, of Dwelly Close, Chard, admitted 12 charges of sexual assault against a girl under 13 and one of sexually assaulting a boy.

Judge David Ticehurst told him: “You are a predatory paedophile. You represent such a risk that you are such a dangerous offender.

“The impact your abuse, as detailed in the victim impact statements, shows the damage it has caused to two young children.”

The judge also imposed a three-year extended licence and an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order that forbids any contact with children.

During the original case the court heard how Palmer befriended the girl in 2011 and put his hands down her trousers and up her top.

He was banned from any contact with children by a Sexual Offences Prevention Order at the time but flouted it by meeting the two children.